WSOU

Game Preview: Seton Hall hosts Rutgers in Garden State Hardwood Classic (12/15/18)

Date: December 14, 2018

By Bob Towey

The fourth annual Garden State Hardwood Classic returns to the Prudential as the Seton Hall Pirates (6-3) prepare to battle their in-state rival, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-4), tomorrow at 2 p.m.

Last season’s matchup between the two foes saw No.15 Seton Hall fall to the Scarlet Knights in a stunning 71-65 upset at the Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC). The Pirates outscored Rutgers 42-32 in the first half of that game, but the Scarlet Knights surged back in the final 20 minutes, scoring 39 points to the Pirates’ 23. Former Rutgers basketball guard Corey Sanders led the Scarlet Knights, scoring 22 points on 9-for-16 shooting and a perfect 3-for-3 performance from the free throw line.

Three other members of the Scarlet Knights scored 10 points or more.

Last year, Myles Powell took command for the Pirates and dropped 18 points at the RAC with three rebounds and three assists, while former Pirate guard Desi Rodriguez followed suit with 15 points. Notably, Rutgers’ stingy defense restricted Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award-winning big man Angel Delgado to just seven points, but the center still snatched 21 rebounds, 17 of them defensive.

The two teams enter Saturday’s contest coming off of very different performances. On Dec. 7, the Pirates shocked the no. 9 Kentucky Wildcats during the Citi Hoops Classic, seizing an 84-83 victory at Madison Square Garden in an overtime thriller.

After an inconsistent start to the game filled with streaky shooting and spotty defense, both teams had electrifying performances in the game’s second half. Myles Powell hit a three pointer with 1.5 seconds left in regulation to give the Pirates a late lead before Kentucky’s Keldon Johnson nailed a half court shot with milliseconds remaining to tie the game 70-70 and send it to overtime. After five gritty minutes in overtime, a three from Myles Cale with 9.5 seconds remaining was enough to secure Seton Hall the win.

Rutgers, on the other hand, fell to the Fordham Rams (7-2) in a 78-70 road upset. A 19-point, 11 rebound double-double from junior Rutgers forward Eugene Omoruyi combined with a 14 point and six rebound game from sophomore guard Geo Baker was not enough to stop the Rams. Freshman Fordham guard Nick Honor caught fire against Rutgers, scoring 30 points on 10-for-17 shooting including five three pointers, plus five made free throws. The Scarlet Knights also gave up 10 turnovers and shot just 4-for-16 from beyond the arc against Fordham.

Listeners can catch all the action between the Pirates and Scarlet Knights on 89.5 FM WSOU. Dalton Allison and James Justice are on the call, while Frank Frasco and Wilnir Louis will anchor pregame and halftime coverage, as well as Hall Line after the game.

Bob Towey can be reached at robert.towey@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: Game Previews, Sports, WSOU

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